Jessica Bowie case: What we know about woman accused of ISIS-inspired New York Capitol plot

ALBANY, NEW YORK: Jessica Bowie, a 35-year-old Albany woman, is accused of spending weeks watching the New York State Capitol and discussing plans to attack the building and lawmakers, according to a federal criminal complaint unsealed Thursday, August 20.

Federal authorities allege Bowie pledged allegiance to ISIS, used the name “Aisha Saif” and communicated with an FBI source posing as an ISIS operative.

She is charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign organization and was arrested Wednesday.

Jessica Bowie allegedly went from online posts to Capitol surveillance

The complaint describes an alleged progression from social media activity to plans targeting the New York State Capitol. Several accounts linked to Bowie allegedly posted messages expressing support for ISIS and ext**mist views between May and July.

One account allegedly posted, “Praise be to Allah for September 11th,” on May 28.

An FBI source posing as an ISIS operative later began communicating with Bowie through encrypted messages in July, according to the complaint. Authorities allege she discussed attacking the Capitol in Albany and spent roughly two weeks planning the attack.

Bowie allegedly visited the Capitol about five times between July 21 and August 9 and sent dozens of photographs of the building to an FBI informant.

On July 29, she allegedly wrote, “I want to destroy as much of the building as possible and kill the senators while they are meeting,” adding that she wanted to affect the “American system.”

Jessica Bowie allegedly bought materials for an explosive device

The complaint says Bowie later moved from planning to acquiring materials.

Using $200 supplied by an informant, she allegedly went to a Home Depot on August 5 and purchased items investigators say she intended to use to build an explosive device. After returning from the store, Bowie allegedly asked an FBI informant, “I hope the nails are big enough … because the nails work as shrapnel, right?”

The investigation then moved toward an undercover operation. According to authorities, informants met Bowie Wednesday and provided her with an inert explosive device and a handgun, along with instructions on how to detonate the device.

During the meeting, Bowie allegedly said she believed the Capitol could have as many as 200 people inside and hoped to kill at least half of them. The complaint also describes a striking statement Bowie allegedly made about how her views had changed over the years.

She reportedly told an informant that she had gone from being “a little girl waving an American flag after 9/11” to having stickers showing the falling towers.

FBI agents arrested Bowie after that meeting. Investigators also found knives in her possession, according to the complaint.

Jessica Bowie faces federal charges as Kathy Hochul reacts

After her arrest, Bowie allegedly told investigators, “There's no helping me, you guys know enough, there's no helping me,” before adding, “I'm going to prison for the rest of my life.”

Bowie was expected to make her initial court appearance Thursday. It was not immediately clear whether she had hired an attorney who could speak on her behalf.

New York Gov Kathy Hochul praised law enforcement for the arrest and said officials had already taken steps to strengthen security at the State Capitol and across state government.

“While there is no immediate threat at this time, we will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to protect New Yorkers and keep our communities safe,” Hochul said.

First Assistant US Attorney John Sarcone said investigators believe Bowie was radicalized online and had shared messages of “hate and violence” against Americans.

Sarcone said federal authorities would continue using their resources to identify and stop people who seek to carry out attacks.

“The allegations in this complaint are deeply disturbing,” Sarcone said, adding that targeting the New York State Capitol and state senators would be “an attack on democracy itself.”

If convicted, Bowie faces up to 20 years in prison, a possible $250,000 fine and a lifetime of supervised release, according to Sarcone.

Public documents reviewed by Newsweek show that Bowie was registered as a Democratic voter while living in Albany in 2008. In 2020, while living in Schenectady, she registered as an independent.

The allegations against Bowie remain allegations, and she has not been convicted of the charges.